I have bought 3 of those last fall, so it is now more than a year. My little skinny one is pretty tuff, even if he gets skinny quicly. I doubt it is parasites, I really think they were underfed. All they can eat for 2 minutes once a day was clearly less than they needed.
The only reason I fed once a day is because I feared for water quality, I heard bloodworms could add to algea problems, and here they are in a 10 gal. Pretty easy to lose control of water quality... Now I feed blodworm carefully from a cup using a pipette twice a day, the reddish water in wich they tawed is discarded. And I do 50% WC twice a week. It works for me and my two remaining puffers: they go after food as if they are starving everytime. And the leftovers give the shrimps a red brain for sometimes!
(The only Dp that did not make it got injured during cleaning time: it got stuck between under the syphon. He was stunned, got a little better after that, then he just vanished, I found it under a leaf, crooked, "swimming" in circles. Lesson learned: my guys go bezerk during cleanings and swim for their life like crazy... I am now carefull and a half during WCs... I felt like a bad mother-- even I am a man --for one week.)
The only reason I fed once a day is because I feared for water quality, I heard bloodworms could add to algea problems, and here they are in a 10 gal. Pretty easy to lose control of water quality... Now I feed blodworm carefully from a cup using a pipette twice a day, the reddish water in wich they tawed is discarded. And I do 50% WC twice a week. It works for me and my two remaining puffers: they go after food as if they are starving everytime. And the leftovers give the shrimps a red brain for sometimes!
(The only Dp that did not make it got injured during cleaning time: it got stuck between under the syphon. He was stunned, got a little better after that, then he just vanished, I found it under a leaf, crooked, "swimming" in circles. Lesson learned: my guys go bezerk during cleanings and swim for their life like crazy... I am now carefull and a half during WCs... I felt like a bad mother-- even I am a man --for one week.)
